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Genius artist with deep insights into life

By Chung Ah-young Staff reporter By Chung Ah-young Staff reporter Paik Nam-june was a once-in-a-century video artist, composer, avant-garde performer and also lover of Shigeko Kubota. She had been an inspiring colleague and life-time partner of the artist until he died in 2006. On July 20, also his 78th birthday, Kubota came to Seoul to talk about her memoir “My Love, Paik Nam-june.” She looked a bit tired from the sweltering summer heat here but her eyes sparkled with passion and yearning when talking about her memories of her husband. The book written by Kubota and Nam Jeong-ho reconstitutes Paik’s artistic and also human story unknown to the public and reveals her dedication and support behind his life as well. “This book is his personal artistic story. This is about a poor artist,” said Kubota in a press event. Unlike his early impoverished life as an artist, he was born to a wealthy family in 1932. When the Korean War (1950-53) broke out, his family moved to Hong Kong and Japan. Paik was smart enough to enter the University of Tokyo on a scholarship due

Jul 23, 2010

Hulbert ― hidden hero of Korea’s independence

By Chung Ah-young Staff reporter If a foreigner can be a patriot in the cause of another nation, American missionary, journalist and activist Homer B. Hulbert (1863-1949) was a true believer for Korea. Hulbert, who shed tears over the sufferings of Koreans under Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945), devoted his youth to help modernize Korea and liberate it from the occupation. He was also a pioneer in establishing modern educational system in the belief that this would save Koreans from Japan's imperialistic rule. His contribution to Korea's modernization and great affection for Koreans ― often overshadowed by Korean patriots ― comes into the spotlight in a new book "Crusader for Korea, Homer B. Hulbert" written by Kim Dong-jin and published by The True Friend. The book sheds light on unknown facts about the American hero who was a special envoy of King Gojong and helped fight for Korean liberation behind the scenes. Hulbert was born in New Haven, Vermont to a devout Christian family in 1863 and studied at Dartmouth College before attending the Union Theological Semina

Jul 16, 2010

Recent Books

The Good Rich Song Seung-woo; Hwangso Books; 264 pp., 13,800 won Many people seek money to become rich. But Socrates once said“don’t praise the rich who brag about their assets until you know how they use their money.” People are interested in how they get rich but not that much in how they spend it for the good of society. This book introduces 10 wealthy Korean people living in the United States including Matthew Lee, Chris Nam and Ryu Eun-ju and reveals how they succeeded, accumulated their fortunes and spent them. For example, Nam went to the U.S. with only $300 as a first generation immigrant and now serves as CEO of Newstar Realty & Inv. with more than 3 trillion won ($2.5 billion) in profits every year. Also, Ryu, an executive director of Pfizer in the U.S., reveals her secret of success through the preparation of a presentation for two weeks. Surprisingly, she began studying English after she turned 30 years of age. The author calls them “the good rich” as they practice “noblesse oblige” through donations and charities but some refuse to reveal the details of t

Jul 16, 2010

Book uncovers confidential files on Korea-Russia ties

By Lee Hyo-won Staff reporter Some secrets are difficult to keep, and this book reveals confidential government materials to reinterpret the dynamic evolution of the relations between Korea and Russia. Rhee Tshang-chu, a distinguished professor at St. Petersburg State University, presents ``The Truth History of Korea-Russia Relations'' (KGF Publishing House, The New Era: 952 pp.) in time for the 20th anniversary of the two countries' diplomatic ties. The curious title reflects the author's attempt to shed light on hitherto unknown details as it chronicles the tumultuous times leading up to and during the Cold War, from the tragic nature of the Russian branch of the Korean Diaspora to communist revolutions that altered the course of northeast Asian geopolitics. Korea-Russia relations are complex and have developed with moments of both harmonious cooperation and intense confrontation, the book says. The two geographically close countries have individually undergone great changes, which are reflected by the different names they have called themselves since the late 19th cen

Jul 11, 2010

Recent Books

Ji-seon, I Love You Lee Ji-seon; Munhakdongne: 308 pp., 13,800 won Third degree burns to 55 percent of the body would be more than enough for anyone to give up hope. But this wasn’t the case for 33-year-old Lee Ji-seon. Ten years ago, the university student was in a car her brother was driving when a drunk driver crashed into them and changed her life forever. Her new book `` Ji-seon, I Love You’’ deals with Lee’s life after the hopeless nights, painful surgeries and ongoing prayers and will hopefully remind readers that life indeed is a miracle. ``I don’t want to go back before the accident. I’m happy now,’’ she writes in the preface. The writer doesn’t glorify herself as a survivor or hero, but talks about herself as a plain 33-year-old who had to go through some hardships and finally managed to break out of her misery and live as any other young lady who enjoys writing, make-up and eating with her family. Instead of clinging to the past, Lee tries to appreciate every moment in life and prepare for a better future, something that seems simple but not easi

Jul 9, 2010

Book spotlights legacy of hushed heroism

By Lee Hyo-won Staff reporter A Greek war correspondent travels across the globe to cover the first armed clash of the Cold War. But instead of trailing the battlefield feats of his countrymen in the Korean War (1950-53), he ends up writing a book on Ethiopian warriors ― yes, warriors, like the stuff of ancient Greek myths. It's not hard to see why the soldiers of Ethiopia, one of the 21 U.N. member nations to send troops into the inter-Korean conflict, struck the fancy of the journalist: The Kagnew Battalion, bound by the motto ``one for all and all for one'' to ``fight until we win or die,'' won all 235 of its battles against North Korean forces. And true to their motto, there were 124 deaths and 536 injuries but not a single one of the 6,037 warriors went missing or became a prisoner of war. They literally either died or survived to a victorious end, Kimon Skordiles observes in his book. ``Kagnew: The Story of Ethiopian Fighters in Korea,'' published in 1954 shortly after the armistice was signed, is now finally available in Korean (Today's Books: 319 pp., 15,000 won

Jul 9, 2010

Dr. Jaerock Lee publishes new book on fruits of spirit

A new book by Dr. Jaerock Lee is out on the shelves. “There Is No Law Against Such Things” delves into the fruit of the spirit and was published on June 20. The book, which is also the 60th authored by Dr.Lee, is a compilation of his messages on the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit. It depicts the spiritual meanings of each fruit of the Holy Spirit ? love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and selfcontrol with detailed illustrations for the better and easier understanding of the readers. The word of the fruit of the spirit is one of the signposts to a proper Christian life along with the word of spiritual love recorded in 1 Corinthians13 and that of the Beatitudes in Matthew 5.

Jul 6, 2010By Kim Ji-soo

Recent Books

How Philosophy Can Save Your Life Marietta McCarty, translated from English to Korean by Han sang-seok; Timebooks Publishing; 493pp; 16,000 won The author wrote this book to answer the question: What is a good life? We barely know what is actually necessary to lead a good life. Buried in our daily work or chores, we hardly find time to think. Thinking is the bricks we need to build our life. Through thinking, we can find new roads and figure out what really matters. This book is an invitation to readers to a gathering of great thinkers. It’s divided into 10 subjects which she wants readers to ponder. Philosophy is the art of clear thinking. The writer wants people to be awake to think. She came up with the 10 themes after decades of research. If these 10 themes are thought over, she believes it will help lead readers to have a good life. The 10 ideas range from “simplicity,” “individuality” to “belonging,” and “joy.” The author, a professor of philosophy and organizer of philosophical clubs, also introduces readers to not only philosophers but also to musician

Jul 2, 2010

‘Suni’ depicts memory of war via eyes of girl

By Chung Ah-young Staff reporter The Korean War (1950-53) could be one of the most preferred themes of any genre _ such as films, exhibitions, dramas and books _ this year, which marks the 60th anniversary of its outbreak. Veteran novelist Lee Kyung-ja, 62, also jumps on the bandwagon of this trend, but takes a different angle to talk about the war through the eyes of a six-year-old girl. "Suni" (Lee Kyung-ja; Sakyejul Publishing: 232 pp., 8,800 won) portrays the war-stricken social atmosphere in Yangyang, Gangwon Province, the home of the author in the 1950s. The biographical novel projects her childhood memories which are written using the strong dialect and folksy language of the province. The author describes her hometown as the "source of sorrow" full of longing and nostalgia mixed with scars and trauma. Indeed, her hometown has a special and complicated historical background. The 38th parallel that divided Korea ran through Gangwon which was part of the North; but after the Korean War truce of 1953, much of the province was returned to the South. So the p

Jul 2, 2010

Recent books

Without a Country, I Wouldn't Exist Paik Sun-yup; The Army: 512 pp., 25,000 won An array of books is out to mark the 60th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War (1950-1953). One of the most eye-catching is an extensive memoir by Paik Sun-yup, the nation's first Army general. Paik, 90, a native of Gangseo in South Pyeongan Province, North Korea, was the commander of Korea's first Army Division when the war broke out. Paik describes almost immediately from the start of the book about how sudden hostilities commenced and how quickly they spread to devastate the forces on the southern half of the Korean peninsula. Paik's writing is standard, almost dry, but he offers a tactical view. He recounts how unprepared South Korea was at that time, when its forces didn't possess a single tank, didn't have the right uniforms and sometimes not even the will to face off the voracious enemy that North Korean and later Chinese soldiers were. He recounts one fight on Aug. 21 in the first months of the war; he received an angry call from American forces that South Korean soldiers of the

Jun 25, 2010
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